Craig Armstrong
GESUALDO (2007)
Vocal reduction score
Chester Music
Commissioned by Scottish Opera Sponsored by Accenture Major support from: The Binks Trust The Scottish Opera Endowment Trust Scottish Opera gratefully acknowledges additional financial support from: The John S Cohen Foundation, Òran Mór, The RVW Trust, PRS Foundation, The Helena Oldacre Trust, Britten-Pears Foundation
Duration: circa 20 minutes A full score and instrumental parts are available on hire from the publisher
Chester Music Limited www.chesternovello.com www.musicroom.com
GESUALDO
Libretto: Ian Rankin
Craig Armstrong
1. BEGINNING WE OPEN IN A BEDROOM. DONNA MARIA, GESUALDO’S WIFE, IS ON THE BED. HER LOVER, FABRIZIO, LYING ON THE FLOOR BESIDE IT. THEIR MURDER HAS ALREADY BEEN ACCOMPLISHED, BUT GESUALDO CONTINUES TO STAB HIS WIFE IN TIME TO THE MUSIC, WHILST HIS SERVANT, ANTONIO, DOES THE SELF-SAME THING TO FABRIZIO. THEIR LUNGES ARE FRANTIC AND COUNTERPOINTED. WE ARE IN “RESERVOIR DOGS” TERRITORY HERE AND THE AUDIENCE SHOULD BE SHOCKED BY THE RHYTHMIC CHOREOGRAPHY OF THE VIOLENCE. EACH ACTOR’S CLOTHING IS DRENCHED IN BLOOD. [GESUALDO WEARS WHITE; IN THE CHAPEL SCENE HE SHOULD BE IN BLACK.]
q = 72
Hn.
Tpt.
f
mp
Tbn.
Pno. R O Vibr. f mp
f
Vlc.
3
mp
f
f
mp
Vlns.
5
mp
mp
© 2007 Chester Music Ltd.
f
f
2 7
f
mp
mp
f
2. FIRST SCENE [EVENTUALLY, GESUALDO AND ANTONIO BEGIN TO SING, BUT WHILE STILL LUNGING, ALTHOUGH CLOSE TO EXHAUSTION.]
L’istesso tempo (q = 72)
9
ANT.
ANTONIO
mf
I think he’s dead,
GES.
GESUALDO
mf
Quite
mp
mp
Pno.
ff
mf
Vlas.
ff
dead.
mf
ff
mf
3
12
ANT.
I’m sure he’s dead,
GES.
Well
bled!
Then
we
dead.
Quite
My la - dy’s dead?
[THEY DO SO, SLOWLY COMING TO TERMS WITH THE RESULT OF THEIR ACTIONS.]
17
ANT.
can GES.
stop.
Pno.
My
mf
hands are
mf
4 22
ANT.
GES.
red,
To
match
the
bed.
26
ANT.
That much I know.
GES.
this bed must go,
this
cuck - old’s
The
tired.
Clt.
30
ANT.
job
is done and we can
stop,
we can stop,
we can stop,
we can
stop.
5
[THEY GO ABOUT CLEANING THEIR SWORDS/ DAGGERS. ANTONIO GAZES INTENTLY AT HIS VICTIM.]
33
ANT.
f
Fa - bri
7
-
7
Bsn.
proud.
Loathed
by
ev’ - ry
ser - vant
7
ger so per - fumed and
no
lon
An - dri - a,
39
f
Vln.2./Vla./Clt.
ANT.
f marc.
Duke of
7
36
ANT.
zi - o,
Vln.1/Flts./Vibr.
-
7
who
met
6
41
ANT.
you,
7
loathed
by
each ser - vant
7
Ob.
43
ANT.
who
met
you.
7
Now
re
6
ady
for
an
o - ver - due
[THREE SERVANTS HAVE ENTERED; THEY WILL CARRY FABRIZIO AWAY WHILE ANTONIO SINGS.]
45
ANT.
shroud.
6
6
7
7
We
all
knew
you,
We SERVANTS mf 2&3
all
knew
you,
you
were
We
all
knew
you,
you
were
47
ANT.
mf
SERVANT 1
SVT 1
SVT
2 3
mf
mf
50
ANT.
- ver; -
SVT 1
SVT
2 3
ver;
you
her
do
her
SVT 1
2 SVT 3
-
ting
hus
-
a’s
lo -
Ma - ri
-
a’s
lo -
do
-
her
do
-
-
band
last
ting
hus
-
band
last
to
ting
hus
-
band
last
to
It
was
I
It
It
know.
Ma - ri
know.
lo -
know.
a’s
53
ANT.
-
ver;
Ma - ri
-
were
Vln. solo
to
was
was
I
I
Pno. 3
8
56
ANT.
who
SVT 1
2 SVT 3
de
who
de
who
de
ci - ded
to
tell
-
-
-
3
him;
him;
ci - ded
to
tell
to
tell
him;
3
ci - ded
ment of
me
the
me,
the
3
59
ANT.
SVT 1
SVT
2 3
your
your
treat -
treat -
your
treat -
ment of
ment of
me,
last
straw.
last
straw.
the
last
straw.
9
ANT.
SVT 1
ANTONIO, SPOKEN: “BUT MY LADY… FORGIVE ME MY LADY…”
62
SVT
2 3
Strs. pizz.
mp
prepared Piano
66
ANT.
GES.
[THE SAME THREE SERVANTS WILL TAKE AWAY MARIA'S BODY AS GESUALDO SINGS.]
Pochiss. più mosso q = 76
GESUALDO
GES.
God will for - give
me
me
and no man may judge me,
mp stacc.
3
3
Strs. arco/ Flts.
3
God will for - give
70
mp
3
and no man may judge
me.
3
3
I did what was right, I
10
3
73
GES.
did what was right,
I
3
did what was right.
3
God’s mer - cy be with me. Ob./Clt.
+Bsn.
76
GES.
An - ton - io,
say
tru
-
ly,
when you
3
look at Fa - bri - zi - o,
3
whose
3
79
GES.
face do you see?
3
Whose face do you see?
Whose
face
do you see?
11
82
ANT.
ANTONIO
3
I
GES.
mp
see on - ly blood.
3
3
mp
Too
Pno.
late for your games now!
Whose
mp
87
ANT.
Your youn - ger son,
GES.
3
your
face do you see?
3
youn
-
ger
mf
son.
Whose face do you see?
mf
loco
My
mf
mf
12 92
ANT.
My
Lord?
My
Lord?
My
[GESUALDO, WIPING HIS SWORD.]
GES.
youn - ger son,
98
3 bring him to me.
bring him to me,
Lord?
3
go fetch him here,
ANT.
3
3 3
104
ANT.
mf
3
3
bring him to me.
3
Bring him to me,
3
3
you asked? GES.
I not done all that
espr.
Have 3
Do you dare dis - o - bey me?
There’s been e - nough kill - ing.
GES.
[ANTONIO LEAVES.]
mp
13
111
GES.
mp
3
God will for - give me,
Ob.
God will for - give me, no
man may judge
3
no man may judge me,
3
[REFRAIN CONTINUES AS STAGE SLOWLY GOES DARK. SCENE/COSTUME CHANGES. YEARS HAVE PASSED AND WHAT FOLLOWS IS MORE STATELY, ELEGIAC AND MEASURED.]
me.
espr.
3. THE CHAPEL WE ARE IN A CHAPEL, GLOOMY, WITH A STAINED GLASS WINDOW REPRESENTING THE MADONNA (but also Gesualdo’s first wife Maria), THE DAYLIGHT FADING SLOWLY BEHIND IT. GESUALDO IS BEING FLAGELLATED BY HIS SERVANT ANTONIO. (THEY SING TO THE RHYTHM OF THE LASHES.) 118
ANT.
Meno mosso q = 65
p
ANTONIO
For
GES.
3
Dark - ness is fall - ing,
Strs./prep. Pno. (Vln.1 harmonics 8ve higher than top notes)
p
pp
14
124
ANT.
you, my Lord, GES.
for you, my Lord,
ANT.
3
dark - ness is fall - ing,
p
3
Dark - ness is fall - ing,
p
the great day of judg - ment draws near.
133
wel - come it!
I
Your days are end - ing,
I
3
GES.
the great day of judg - ment draws near.
ANT.
you, my Lord,
GES.
128
3
for
dark - ness is fall - ing,
3
Hell’s fires are wait - ing,
wel - come it!
I’ll
15 137
ANT.
The day of our Lord God
GES.
draws
near,
bathe in them!
the
day of
The
day
of our
Vln.1
p
143
ANT.
our Lord
GES.
Lord
God
God
[THE FLAGELLATION IS AT AN END.]
[ANTONIO DOES SO.]
draws
near.
draws
near.
GESUALDO, SPOKEN: “RUB ASHES INTO THE WOUNDS, ANTONIO.”
16 149
ANT.
GES.
ANTONIO, SPOKEN: “ASPERGITE VOS CINERE. SPRINKLE YOURSELF WITH ASH.”
(Vln.1 harmonics 8ve higher than top notes)
155
ANT.
mp
3
3
for you, my Lord,
Dark - ness is fall - ing,
mp
159
ANT.
3
dark - ness is fall - ing,
GES.
3
3
3
for you, my Lord,
for you, my Lord.
The day
3
of your judg - ment draws near.
GESUALDO, SPOKEN: “OFF WITH YOU, ANTONIO – MY PRAYERS ARE FOR GOD ALONE.”
dark - ness is fall - ing.
dark - ness is fall - ing,
Flts./Pno./Vibr
dark - ness is fall - ing,
Dark - ness is fall - ing, mp
GES.
3
GESUALDO, SPOKEN: “QUIA VENIET DIES DOMINI MAGNA.”
ANTONIO, SPOKEN: “THE GREAT DAY OF THE LORD DRAWS NEAR.”
17
[ANTONIO MOVES TO A CORNER OF THE STAGE. GESUALDO FALLS TO HIS KNEES, 164 FACING THE STAINED-GLASS WINDOW.]
ANT.
mp GES.
Ma
3
mp
-
ri - a
slain,
I am your hum - ble ser - vant, Lord,
mp
your faith - ful hy - po - crite.
3
170
ANT.
Fa
GES.
-
bri - zio
slain,
my
3
My mu - sic 3
all
Mas - ter
in praise of
lives
in
you
but blood - ied to the hilt.
The
175
ANT.
pain,
GES.
my Mas - ter
lives in
pe - nance I pay
pain.
I
helped
him
ev’ - ry day seems to please you not one
bit,
kill,
for good or
you take a - way my son
and
18 180
ANT.
GES.
ill
and
so
on
heir,
he will
[HE DRAWS A DAGGER FROM IT'S SCABBARD.]
a
kill
pay - ment for the blood
-
gain.
I’ve spilt.
p
pp
4. MARIA’S GHOST
[MARIA, OR RATHER HER GHOST, HAS BEEN ‘EMBEDDED’ WITHIN THE STAINED-GLASS WINDOW.]
Poco più mosso q = 75
MAR.
ANT.
MARIA
ff
An - ton - i - o!
5
Tpt. ff
ff
MAR.
190
5
I was your mis - tress once. ANT.
3
5
5
My Mis - tress de - mands it.
Will you kill your mas - ter?
Who’s there?
W.W./Strs.
5
Ma - ri - a?
(Tpt. 8va.)
193
MAR.
ANT.
3
Lis - ten to
An - ton - i -
o.
If you
My La - dy?
5
me,
19
5
5
5
197
MAR.
3
3
kill
3
him, his suf - fe - ring dies
5
with him;
kept
a - live,
his
soul
is
5
5
5
200
MAR.
3
flayed ev’
-
ry
day.
5
5
5
5
5
20 203
ANT.
ff
ANTONIO
If
If
SERVANTS 2&3
2 SVT 3
kill
him,
his
ff
SERVANT 1
SVT 1
I
he kills
ff
If
he kills
him,
his
him,
his
mu - sic dies with him.
3
3
Let him live, and
mu - sic dies with him.
Let him live, and
mu - sic dies with him.
5
3
Let him live, and
5
5
206
MAR.
ANT.
3
that
SVT 1
3
mu - sic will be saved.
3
that
3
If he lives, you’ll
re - pay the debt that you owe
me
when
mf
mf
If
I
kill
him,
does my
mu - sic will be saved.
mu - sic will be saved.
that
2 SVT 3
MARIA
5
mf
21 210
MAR.
you help’d him 3
ANT.
to
kill
me
on
that
mf
day.
Can
this mon- ster he
made of
his
ser - vant
be
with him?
fate - ful
3
gu - il - ty cons - cience die
215 mp
ANT.
saved? GESUALDO [STILL AT PRAYER…]
GES.
mp
3 I
am your hum - ble
ser - vant,
3
Lord,
my soul stain’d dark - est
red.
mp
219
GES.
3
Mu - sic
pours
out
from
my
pen,
dipp’d
in
the
3
22 222
GES.
blood
I
have
shed.
That so
much
3
sac - red mu - sic,
Lord,
225
GES.
3
flows from
a
3
pro - fane
deed
3
must give good men
3
228
GES.
a
mo - ment’s
pause:
Does
e
-
-
-
vil fill
some
23
MARIA
231
MAR.
mf
3
If he lives, you’ll re - pay
GES.
mf
the debt that you owe me
when you help’d him to kill me
need?
5 mf 5
on
that fate
235
MAR.
ANTONIO mf
ANT.
If
-
ful
he dies,
does
my
guil - ty
cons -
MAR.
ANT.
That so much
sa - cred mu - sic,
Lord,
flows
from
mon -
GES.
ster
he
made of
his
ser - vant
GESUALDO [MIMES TO MARIA'S SINGING]
That so much
sa - cred mu - sic,
with him?
Can this
mf
cience die
mf
day.
239
a pro - fane deed
must
be saved?
Lord,
flows
from
a pro - fane deed
must
24
244
MAR.
give good men
ANT.
GES.
give good men
a
mo - ment’s pause: 3
Can this mon
-
a
Does
ser -
mo - ment’s pause:
e - vil fill some need?
Does
ster he made of his
Does
vant be saved?
e - vil fill some need?
Does
vil
fill
249
MAR.
e
ANT.
GES.
-
e
-
vil
fill
some
need?
ANTONIO, SPOKEN: “WHICH IS CRUELLER – TO KILL OR NOT TO KILL? CAN THE MONSTER WITHIN ME BE SAVED?”
mp
some
need?
mp
25 [MARIA, WALKING AROUND THE KNEELING, PRAYING GESUALDO…]
254
MAR.
mf
Your
3
cruel - ty that day knew no bounds,
3
258
MAR.
3
3
Sa - tan look’d out from your eyes.
You
thought
your
son
Fa - bri - zi - o’s,
and so
head,
my
fa - ther slain
262
MAR.
3 en - ded his
ANT.
life.
A
kill him,
his
bul - let to my true love’s
mf
If I
mu - sic
dies
with
him.
as
Can the
26 267
MAR.
ANT.
well.
If
you weren’t al - rea - dy liv - ing
there,
I’d
with - in
me
be
saved?
ster
3
mon -
3
see you
in
hell.
5. END OF PRAYER [GESUALDO ENDS HIS PRAYERS, CROSSES HIMSELF AND RISES TO HIS FEET. HE SEES THAT ANTONIO IS THERE, AND WITH A DAGGER DRAWN.]
271
ANTONIO
GESUALDO p
GES.
3
p
3
Dark - ness sur - rounds us,
3
Lord.
It
3
sits in our hearts’ core;
3
p
It
Yes, my
Yes, my Lord.
Dark - ness has fal - len,
ANT.
277
283
L’istesso tempo q = 75
27 288
MAR.
p
MARIA
The mo - ment of
ANT.
does, my
GES.
Lord.
near.
near.
mp
Leo -
mp
judg - ment is
must not die.
mp
near. Your mas - ter
judg - ment is
The mo - ment of
judg - ment is
The mo - ment of
mp
293
MAR.
You
ANT.
3
know
what
you
owe
me.
- no - ra de - mands it.
GES.
3
3
[GESUALDO WALKS RIGHT UP TO ANTONIO SO THAT THE TIP OF THE BLADE TOUCHES HIS CHEST.]
28 299
ANT.
GES.
mp
mp
Then you know that I mean to
kill you?
It
is
I’ve
No fear now, An - to - ni - o.
right that
it
304
ANT.
wait - ed such GES.
is
a
long time.
so.
Then
kill
me you
must,
3
3
my judg - ment is
fi - nal - ly
here.
309
ANT.
Your GES.
mu - sic
dies
with
you.
3 Mu
-
sic
Leo - no - ra, she made
can’t
me… My
die,
3
29 313
ANT.
GES.
ANT.
GES.
fi
-
judg - ment is
here,
the
here,
the
day
of
the
day
of
day
day
of
of
3
judg - ment is
judg - ment is
here
3
day
of
of
light,
day
3
day
see new
the
judg - ment is
the
I
here,
of
While
day
The
3
re.
324
GES.
on
ANT.
brain is
what is right.
319
You must do
of
here,
the
judg - ment is
here,
the
3
3
here.
3
judg - ment is
3
judg - ment is
judg - ment is
here.
30 [ANTONIO SEES THAT HIS MASTER REALLY WOULD WELCOME DEATH AT HIS HANDS. BUT ANTONIO CANNOT BRING HIMSELF TO DO IT.] 328 mf
ANT.
GES.
I can - not,
I
I
can
can - not,
3 3
mf
-
no - thing, that’s all
I
ask,
that’s all
335
[HE HOLDS ANTONIO’S ARM STEADY AND EASES HIMSELF ONTO THE TIP OF THE DAGGER, ALMOST EMBRACING HIS SERVANT AS HE SLIDES FURTHER UP THE DAGGER’S BLADE UNTIL IT IS EMBEDDED TO THE HILT.] mp 3 3
Dear An - to - ni - o,
dear An - to - ni - o,
341
mp
Is
that
ANTONIO
Tell Le - o - no - ra
for - give me,
mp
I lov’d
true?
her.
ask.
3
that’s
all that I
ask.
Is
that
I
The gates
not.
GES.
mf
ANT.
Then do
GES.
of death
true?
Is
are
o - pen - ing,
31
[MARIA [STEPPING BACK INTO THE STAINED-GLASS WINDOW.] 348
MAR.
ANT.
that GES.
are
o
u - ni - ver - si
At - ten - dite,
-
At - ten - dite, mp
true?
mp
u - ni - ver - si
pen - ing.
[THE STAGE IS SLIPPING INTO DARKNESS, THEIR VOICES FADING.] 353
MAR.
3
po - pu - li,
ANT.
et
do - lo - rem
me - um.
3
po - pu - li,
GES.
vi - de - te
et mp
Te
vi - de - te
-
do - lo - rem
me - um.
ne - brae,
At - ten - dite,
u - ni - ver - si
At - ten - dite,
te
u - ni - ver - si
-
ne
-
brae,
dim.
32 359
MAR.
po - pu - li,
ANT.
po - pu - li,
3
et
vi - de - te
do - lo - rem
et
vi - de - te
do - lo - rem
3
me - um.
me - um.
[GESUALDO, WITH HIS FINAL DYING WHISPER…]
GES.
te
-
ne
-
brae…